Israeli minister calls for annexation of southern Lebanon

Israel should extend its border with Lebanon up to the Litani River deep inside the country's south, Israel's finance minister said on Monday as Israeli troops bombed bridges and destroyed homes in an escalating military assault.



The comments by Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich were the most explicit yet by a senior Israeli official on seizing Lebanese territory in a fight Israel says targets Iran-backed Hezbollah militants.



Lebanon was pulled into the regional war on March 2 when Hezbollah fired missiles into Israel.



Since then, Israel has ordered all residents to evacuate south of the Litani River as it pummels the area with air strikes, viewing it as a stronghold of Hezbollah, which has kept up rocket attacks on Israel.